N. Chuuya X Fem! Reader: The Territory of Gravity

15.5 - Dazai, Chuuya, Aged Fifteen

"Alright that's enough," Mori intervened, clapping his hands. "The three of you just met yesterday and you're such good friends already. Now then... just like Chuuya-kun said, I want to talk about the black explosion. Can the two of you release him, Randou-kun, L/N-kun?"

The gifted escort called Randou - a man with wavy, long black hair and unhealthy eyes - had a rather gloomy face.

"You're the boss... but I don't recommend it," he sighed. "This boy is dangerous."

"No worries, Dazai-kun's nullifying ability will come in handy," Mori smiled. "But you look colder than usual, and your complexion looks bad. Are you ok?"

When asked, Randou shuddered. "I'm embarrassed that I'm going to freeze and die."

"Cold?" Chuuya asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dressed like that, in this season?"

You slapped him upside the head out of instinct, a habit you'd gained after months of dealing with Dazai and his nosy tendencies.

"You bitch!" Chuuya snarled.

"Right back at you, Chibiko-kun," you glared.

Randou was dressed in thick insulating fabric. He was wearing a brushed winter jacket, and a thick, muffler scarf around his neck. He wore ear warmers around his head, winter boots made out of synthetic leather, and a dozen heated hoodies were stuck to his body.

Still, he was quite cold.

"Since I was invited into the office, I dressed lightly so I wouldn't be rude... brr, it's so cold," Randou shivered.

"Don't be alarmed, he's healthy, he just hates the cold," you sighed.

"Are there any branches near warmer areas? Like a crater?" Randou asked.

"Suribachigai is the only one, but we don't have an official branch there because of lack of authorization," you mumbled.

"There aren't any," Mori glared.

"Well then, I'm sorry for bringing it up," Randou mumbled, snapping his fingers.

Next to you, all the cubic subspaces that tethered Chuuya disappeared. Then with light footsteps, Randou left the room. For an unexplainable reason, the four of you watched him leave.

"He may not look like it, but he's a skilled ability user and an executive," Mori sighed.

"No one can really say anything," Chuuya mumbled.

"Mori-San, why won't you get to the point already?" Dazai grumbled.

"Ah-" Mori scratched his cheek and picked up a quill. "- you're right."

He looked at the ceiling, then behind you at Dazai, then at Chuuya, and then at his palm before speaking.

"Chuuya, are you willing to join the Port Mafia?"

The floor shattered with a roar. Radial cracks ran through the floor around Chuuya.

"... Huh?" Chuuya growled.

Chuuya's voice sounded as if it arrived from the pits of hell. The reinforced flooring that could withstand shootouts was broken, and debris scattered through the room. Still, all three of you remained expressionless.

"Did you call me here to spout such shit?" He yelled.

"I told you, Boss," you glared.

"Hmm well that is the reaction we expected," Mori admitted. "But in my view, Chuuya-kun, our purpose and what you're following are somewhat consistent. Even after we evaluate what we can offer to each other, I don't think it will be too late."

"Heh, well that's surprising. The new boss, wasting his time," Chuuya laughed ruefully. "Me, joining the mafia? What you mafia did to this city... don't tell me you forgot."

"The previous boss's rampage. That time also caused me pain," Mori recalled.

The runaway of the previous boss - the violence and fear of Yokohama that has long been trapped under a bloody tyranny - is still a new tragedy in everyone's memory.

One day, all the redhead boys were killed, just because one red-haired boy doodled on the boss's car.

Another day, all residents in one housing complex died from poison being thrown into a water tank, just because hostile executives were a little more likely to be hidden in those apartments.

And one time, a mafioso who bad-mouthed the Port Mafia tried to give a touch of death to a whole neighbourhood. To make matters worse, a medal of honour was given to those who betrayed other bad-mouthers.

Your introduction to the Port Mafia was in one of these. You were an orphan with an immensely powerful skill when Mori and a lady in a Kimono found you. At the time, you were scheduled to be executed due to the dangerous nature of your skill. However, once the previous boss heard of you, he offered to take you in on one condition - your skill would be put to use in the manner he saw fit. Of course, your other option was death. Being a child, you agreed to have the autonomy of your skill taken away to serve him. Once, you followed a stranger's advice, something that didn't sit well with the previous Boss. He immediately hunted them down and tortured them as payment, banning you from seeing them again.

They were still alive. In an insane asylum, a psych ward far away from Yokohama. But they were still alive. You were banned from visiting them, especially because of your forced allegiance with the mafia. You could only hope in whatever healthcare system they were under, only pray to whatever being there was, that the soul who guided you was safe and alive so that you could see them again one day.

When the tides are calmer.

For this reason, the entire city was covered with suspicion and darkness, just like a medieval witch trial, for years. In the city of betrayal, the number of trivial executions was no less than the number of Chiba people. There seemed to be many examples of killing for false charges.

If they go against you, kill them.

A rule that you'd been taught since your first day here. A rule you were forced to live by.

For if you disagreed with them, they would kill you.

A night tyrant and its death soldier.

That was the synonym for the Port Mafia.

"But the previous boss also died of disease," Mori drawled. "I was there when he passed... if there were rumours that such a bloody rule returned, we must find the truth about it. Wouldn't you be worried, otherwise, too?"

"You can't push me around, street doctor," Chuuya sneered. "A powerful boss, in his final moments, giving his position to his doctor? That's unheard of. And you can't prove that he was sick. You killed him, didn't you?"

You smirked knowingly, surprised at how quickly Chuuya put the pieces together, well aware that Mori's ego would get the best of him. Dazai tried to stop Mori from speaking, though it was too late.

"I can't prove it. Why?" Mori smirked. "Because I did kill the previous boss."

The room temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees, and for the first time since arriving there, Chuuya was speechless.

"I cut the throat of the great predecessor with my surgical blade and disguised it as if he were sick and died. What of it?" Mori continued.

Mori's voice was calm and his posture wasn't different from his previous facial expression. But the person standing there was like a completely different person. Even the undefeated Chuuya was overpowered by his freezing eyes. Behind the desk was a demon that devoured demons, a god of death that killed the reaper, an incarnation of wickedness that wandered aimlessly and showed signs of cruelty through vast amounts of deaths.

"Seriously?" Chuuya said with a hard voice. "Compared to this, the previous boss was just a bad kid."

You laughed at his reaction, evidently knowing more than you let on.

"The previous boss was dangerous in power, but Mori-San is smart," you explained. "Being his ally, even if he's weak physically, is a benefit. Your reputation in the underworld skyrockets."

"And how would you know, you're just a kid," Chuuya scoffed.

"I'm the second in command," you smirked. "If anything is going smoothly here, it's thanks to my leadership skills, since Boss doesn't have those."

"I'm honoured to be complimented," Mori smiled. "Chuuya-kun, I withdraw my previous statement of joining the mafia. Instead, I would like to offer a joint investigation. The rumours we've heard about the previous boss's return and the 'Arahabaki' that you're after are clearly rooted in the same incident. I think we could achieve a mutually beneficial relationship, simply by sharing information, don't you think?"

"And if I refuse?" Chuuya asked.

"Then I'll kill you," Mori stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Though it's pretty hard to kill you, even in the mafia. So I'll kill your 'Sheep' companions instead. How about it?"

Chuuya's restraints flew away. The metal restraints hit the wall due to the sheer physical strength of Chuuya's ability. You, similarly, were blown away by the windpower as Chuuya used his ability, only barely managing to catch yourself.

"I'll kill you!" Chuuya yelled, jumping up.

He closed the distance between him and Mori in an instant and raised his right fist. Though before his fist could collide - it stopped. In front of a smiling Mori was a black communications device that he had raised beforehand.

'Hey... Chuuya! Help me! Are you there?' A young voice pleaded. 'We're surrounded by the Mafia! Do something, quickly! Hey! You can do it, you always do...!'

The communication was interrupted as soon as Mori pressed a button, and Chuuya's fist trembled. You gently landed, watching your step so as to avoid the many cracks.

"It was really easy. Even when armed with guns, their skills were poor," you shrugged, recalling the transmissions you'd received all of last night. "An organisation with a prime location in Yokohama. If only your soldiers weren't children armed with guns."

Chuuya's fists trembled harder, but he remained stationary in his spot and didn't move. He couldn't move.

"As a fellow leader, I feel for you, Chuuya-kun," Mori smiled. "The Sheep was actually just a king and a herd of herbivores that depended on him. I think there are more things I can advise you about running an organisation."

"... You bastard," Chuuya growled through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong? What's that fist for? Good exercise for your health?" Mori mocked.
Chuuya lowered his fist, embarrassed.

"And there you have it, Dazai-kun," Mori smiled. "The wielder of the greatest violence in this room, is Chuuya-kun. But for the mafia, violence is just one of the tools at our disposal. The essence of the Mafia is to control rational action by a plethora of means."

"So in this case, the rational action is to adjust the disadvantages caused by the opponent in a way that benefits us, right Boss?" You asked.

"Precisely," Mori nodded. "That's one of the rules of the Mafia."

"I see. But why did you teach me such a lesson?" Dazai asked.

However, before Mori could respond, Chuuya intervened.

"We can exchange information," he agreed, glaring. "But for the good of my profit. So you speak first, I will decide after hearing that."

You looked down on instinct, knowing that he would only be manipulated into agreeing to the deal, either by Mori or by Dazai. In the mafia that was all everyone did. No one was free of their tactics, especially not those close to the two.

"Gladly," Mori smiled. "We're investigating rumours that the dead boss has reappeared. According to Dazai-kun's investigations, the previous boss has been witnessed three times in the past month near the vicinity of Suribachigai."

"The fourth time, you were with us, and were blown away by the black flames yourself," you reminded. "Do you know anything about them?"

Chuuya furrowed his eyebrows in deep concentration, frowning, though answered honestly nonetheless.

"The dead can't come back to life," he said.

"If they could the doctors would be unemployed, dumbass," you scoffed, pulling out a video terminal from your trench coat. "But watch this."

You tossed the terminal to Mori, who put it on his desk and turned it on. Video feed was projected on the terminal. It was indoor footage of somewhere. The position of the video looked down from the ceiling, where a huge amount of bundled bills were stacked on the floor and against the wall.

"This is a video of a vault in the Port Mafia's headquarters, where over half our assets are kept," Mori explained. "It's one of the most difficult places to enter, along with the boss's office. Now, I want you to look ahead."

Chuuya and Dazai did as told, observing as a figure moved behind the bundle of bills. Chuuya froze while Dazai's breath hitched as he recognised the figure, eyes wide as his blood ran cold.

'No way...'